Understanding Wood Finishing
by Bob Flexner · first published 1993
3mentions
1recommended by
3HN commenters
2019–2025first – last mentioned
33% recommend67% neutral
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Regarding finishes, I highly, highly recommend the book Understanding Wood Finishing by Bob Flexner. Flexner applies a very no-nonsense scientific approach which greatly demystifies the process. For example he explains what that pre-stain conditioner actually is (chemically), what it…
on “Woodworking for Engineers” ↗…slightly different animal than paint as understood by house painters, wood finishers, and other sorts of people with more prosaic requirements of their paints. Bob Flexner wrote a book for wood finishers, Understanding Wood Finishing, that breaks down oil paint in simple terms for the rest of us: Some oils (like linseed and walnut) are drying oils, and can be used as a finish on their own, but don't really form a hard film finish.…
on “Paint Is Colored Glue” ↗Flexner's "Understanding Wood Finishing" has a section about "the myth of food safety" that pretty directly states that food safety isn't a serious concern for fully cured finishes.
on “Developing a food-safe finish for my wooden spoons” ↗